In Memoriam: Sir Roger Moore (1927-2017)

Roger Moore‘s James Bond movies are not everybody’s cuppa. They’re silly, self-referential, cartoonish, and fluffy, even by the standards of a series that had previously seen Agent 007 “turn Japanese” (Sean Connery’s You Only Live Twice), fly around in a jet pack (Connery’s Thunderball), and break the fourth wall (George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service). Moore’s seven Bond films, released between 1973 to 1985 in the longest run yet for an “official” Bond actor, were capable in spurts of the kind of darkness and serialization that later audiences would crave, but are mostly notable for pushing England’s tuxedoed superman beyond the boundaries of believability. Moore’s tall, grinning, fair-haired Bond drove a car underwater, skipped across the backs of alligators, dressed up as a clown, and, yes, went to outer space.

Through the winking, Moore’s Bond exuded a dapper unflappability, a studied nonchalance that was almost aristocratic. He was the most English James Bond — literally so, since he followed a Scotsman and an Australian and preceded a Welshman and an Irishman in the role, but also in terms of his cultural aura. It is easy to picture Moore’s 007 as the rakish scion of a Henry Fielding novel; or, to choose a more contemporary reference, as a Prince Harry or Prince Philip — wealthy, aloof, sporting, tramping over the old Empire on an endless, jolly holiday. Moore’s antique Englishness, both tutted at and envied, is not reflected in Daniel Craig’s fitfully updated take on the character.

Though they did not represent the totality of his work, the seven James Bond movies he starred in define Roger Moore’s legacy as an actor. According to Flickchart users, they rank as follows:

Bond works with Agent Triple X (Barbara Bach) to stop a madman who threatens both the West and the East. The plot is a loose reworking of You Only Live Twice, and it would be reworked yet again in Tomorrow Never Dies.

Global rank: 1207

Bond rank: 10/31 (Flickchart’s James Bond filter includes more than just the “official” films)

David has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas at Austin. He loves classic film, classic TV, and has read nearly every word J.R.R. Tolkien ever wrote. David lived in Japan for three years and is always eager to talk about it. Follow him on Twitter at @davidaconrad or email him at david@flickchart.com.